Amanpour – US Allies Reject Trump's Call for Help

CNN Podcasts | March 16, 2026
Host: Christiane Amanpour

Overview

This episode of Amanpour focuses on the global fallout from the US and Israel’s war on Iran, with specific attention to President Trump’s call for international military assistance to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. The episode explores the responses of US allies, the massive oil disruption’s impact on the global economy, geopolitical consequences for Ukraine and Russia, and an in-depth look at the emergence of a “pardon industry” during Trump’s second term.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. US Allies Reject Trump’s Coalition Appeal

[00:59–03:47]

• Context: Since the US and Israel launched military actions against Iran two weeks prior, oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz (vital for 20% of the world’s oil supply) has nearly ceased. Trump is pressuring European and Asian allies (NATO members, China, Japan, South Korea) to join in reopening the strait.
• Responses:
  • Germany (Boris Pistorius, Defense Minister): "This is not our war. We have not started it."
  • UK (Keir Starmer, Prime Minister): Refuses to get involved militarily, stating decisions must be based on British national interest with proper planning and legal justification.
• Amanpour: "So far, no countries have answered Trump’s call or his pressure."

2. Military and Strategic Analysis with Gen. Sir Richard Shirreff

[03:47–14:55]

• Reluctance Rooted in Distrust:
  • Shirreff notes the alliance’s trust in the US is broken after repeated American threats to NATO security guarantees:
    • "Trust in America, in the alliance, has been broken ... I’m not surprised that there is this reluctance to dance to Trump’s tune." [05:43]
• Is this a NATO mission?
  • Technically possible: "Any NATO operation to protect the Strait of Hormuz or to open it up ... would be a defensive operation to protect NATO’s interests, which are being threatened." [07:00]
• Military Complexity:
  • Explains joint naval, air, and land operations would be required; taking and holding land such as Kharg Island or a stretch of Iranian coastline would be difficult and risky.
  • "It’s one thing to take it. It’s another thing to hold it, and then what do you do with it?" [10:03]
• Assessment of the Asymmetrical War:
  • Despite severe damage to Iran’s military, Shirreff asserts, "I think President Trump is in danger of looking pretty stupid now because his military planners did not war game ... the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz and the economic global meltdown." [12:15]
• Putin’s Benefit:
  • "The beneficiary of this war is Putin, filling up his coffers with oil dollars and reducing the support ... being given to Ukraine." [13:47]

3. Global Economic Impact with Mohamed El Erian

[16:25–26:41]

• Risk of Long-term Structural Damage:
  • "We risk going from short-term disruption to long-term structural damage to the oil market ... the increase in the oil price is going to persist for a while and that is going to mean not only higher interest rates ... but also lower growth, higher unemployment and a greater risk of financial instability." [16:25]
• Stagflation Warning:
  • "Stagflation ... economic growth comes down ... prices go up and you get higher inflation ... it paralyzes the policymakers." [17:33]
• Resilience and Recession Concerns:
  • "The probability of a recession today is 35%. It's not overwhelming, but it is high enough for you to worry about ... if you look at the overwhelming probability, but the impact would be really meaningful if it were to materialize." [23:44]
• US Advantage is Relative:
  • "The US economy is better placed than virtually any other economy to handle the stagflationary wind ... but ... growth will be lower, inflation will be higher, and the risk of financial instability will also be higher." [19:40]
• On the Endgame:
  • "If Iran ends up being an Iraq, ends up being a Libya where there's a civil war ... oil prices over the longer term will not go down as Peter Navarro hopes." [21:38]
• Gulf Region Risk:
  • "A Goldman Sachs study ... countries like Kuwait would see 14% of their GDP knocked off ... it puts in doubt the special status that these countries were looking for." [25:51]
  • "What keeps me up at night is I don't see the off ramps ... there is no clear end to this conflict as yet." [26:41]

4. Ukraine’s Perspective with Former Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk

[27:37–35:47]

• Escalated Threat for Ukraine:
  • "Clearly Putin has more incentives to continue the aggression than he had before ... because he's making more money on the oil prices." [27:37]
  • "We see more escalation than de-escalation, frankly speaking."
• Critical Shortage of Patriot Missiles:
  • "Patriot missiles become like an extremely important element of anyone's defense. And there is a shortage of them ... making missiles is easier than ... anti missile defense." [29:25]
• Outlook for Negotiations:
  • "He (Putin) wants only ultimatums from us that we have to withdraw from our territory ... but he will not end with this. No, no, it's not enough for him." [31:15]
• Russia’s “War Bounty”:
  • "They will increase production of weapon systems and they will keep on escalating the war in Ukraine ... Russia will use money ... to increase their war effort." [32:23]
• Moscow–Tehran Ties:
  • "Russia and Iran are allies. They are very close. They are exchanging technologies ... there is an exchange of intelligence." [34:03]
• Why Russia/China Haven’t Helped Iran Militarily:
  • "I don't think Russia has capability to do that ... They are losing more people than they recruit right now." [35:02]

5. **The Emergence of a “Pardon Industry” in Trump’s Second Term

(Interview: Kenneth Vogel, New York Times)** [37:06–52:13]

• Mass Pardons and a New System:
  • "Since the start of his second term, President Trump has pardoned more than 1,800 people over the weekend." [37:06]
  • Vogel describes a “pardon industry,” with lobbyists and lawyers creating bypasses to the traditional Justice Department process, getting clemency for clients with money or political connections.
  • "They wait till the end of the term to do it, because they think, well, I'm almost outta here ... sort of machinery behind the scenes that had created a pipeline to get these pardon applications to his desk." [38:13]
• Case Study – Joseph Schwartz:
  • "He paid more than a million dollars to lobbyists, lawyers, political operatives seeking a pardon, and he got one after serving only a few weeks in prison." [39:24]
• Trend in Second Term:
  • Pardons focused on political allies (Jan. 6 participants, anti-abortion protesters), celebrities, and a notable number of affluent fraudsters.
  • "There is this new industry, the pardon industrial complex, that has become in some ways a critical sort of channel for money influencing politics." [41:30]
• Comparison to Other Presidents:
  • Obama and Clinton often used Justice Department processes, focusing on reforming sentencing for nonviolent drug offenders, but Trump "almost none ... are" via traditional channels. [44:14]
  • "So lobbying has been a part of politics ... Is there something distinct even when you think about those earlier eras?" [43:34]
• Transparency and Accountability:
  • "Now they don't do that at all. So ... the White House saying that this is the result of a rigorous process ... Well, they're basically asking us to take their word for it." [46:12]
• Examples of Influence:
  • "Paul Walzack ... his mother ... made a $1 million donation to the Trump backed super PAC ... President Trump issued the pardon before he ever had to report. So ... he was spared from having to pay ... restitution." [47:09]
  • Vogel notes direct quid-pro-quo is hard to prove; system remains a “black box.”
• Systemic Inequity:
  • "It's just the disparity in ability to access this, you know, presidential perk ... is not always sort of taken into account when you hear these explanations of why an individual did warrant clemency." [51:12]

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Shirreff: "I'm not surprised that there is this reluctance to dance to Trump's tune. And don't forget, of course, this is a war he started." [05:43]
• El Erian: "We risk going from short-term disruption to long-term structural damage to the oil market." [16:25]
• Zagorodnyuk: "There is a shortage of [Patriot missiles]. There's a global shortage ... making missiles is easier than to make anti missile defense." [29:25]
• Kenneth Vogel: "There is this new industry, the pardon industrial complex, that has become ... a critical ... channel for money influencing politics." [41:30]

7. Cultural Segment: The Oscars

[52:15–54:34]

• "Mr. Nobody Against Putin" wins Best Documentary.
  • Director David Borenstein: "When we act complicit ... we all face a moral choice. But luckily, even a nobody is more powerful than you think." [53:15]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamps | |---------------------------------------|--------------| | Trump Seeks Coalition | 00:59–03:47 | | Gen. Shirreff Interview | 03:47–14:55 | | Mohamed El Erian Interview | 16:25–26:41 | | Andriy Zagorodnyuk on Ukraine | 27:37–35:47 | | Kenneth Vogel on Pardons | 37:06–52:13 | | Oscars & "Mr. Nobody Against Putin" | 52:15–54:34 |

Conclusion

This episode offers a comprehensive examination of the cascading effects of the US-Iran war, including the fractured alliance over Trump’s leadership, crippling global economic repercussions, the shifting dynamics empowering Russia and Putin, and the rise of a monetized, politicized approach to presidential pardons in the US. Interviews are bracingly candid—military, economic, and legal experts all warn of long-term consequences, deepening global instability, and a troubling erosion of both trust between allies and the foundations of justice in American governance.